Florida Governor Rick Scott has announced a series of “Defense Reinvestment Grants,” that will be awarded to several counties. The grants, which will total $850,000 are meant to mitigate planned federal budget cuts to the defense budget which will impact 11 Florida counties with military installations.
The grant awards will range between $40,000 and $90,000 and will go to local Chambers of Commerce. The military and defense sector has a $60 billion economic impact to the state and is Florida’s third-largest sector after tourism and agriculture. State officials have been worried about budget cuts, the possibility of the ‘fiscal cliff’ and the impact on Florida.
Counties applied for the funds which are meant to help them grow new businesses and diversify their local economies. Bay, Brevard, Clay, Duval, Escambia, Okaloosa, Hillsboro, Miami-Dade, Orange, Pinellas, and Santa Rosa were all selected for the grants.
